Follow Me
by phantom12
Summary: Long before they became heroes, she was a free-spirited troublemaker, and he resembled nothing of the leader he would one day become. One-shot.


Dedication: It is with a sincerely heavy heart that I post this story for you, my one and only beta reader. I think it's important to note that this was already going to be dedicated to you long before I ever learned of what had come to pass. Thank you for helping me with the early drafts of this piece and for giving me the constructive criticism that made it what it is now. You fed my homesick soul.

Plot Summary: Long before they became heroes, she was a free-spirited troublemaker, and he resembled nothing of the leader he would one day become. One-shot. Dedicated to psychochick32 and her loved ones.

**Follow Me**

_**Third Grade  
Sunday, October 2**__**nd**__**, 1:06 a.m.  
Angel Grove – Pewter Street**_

A full moon on this peaceful Saturday evening illuminated the sleepy town of Angel Grove. Save for the soft yeowls of stray cats, there was no other sound disrupting the peace besides the soft pattering footsteps of an eight-year-old little girl making her way through various backyards to reach her destination. Breaking her stride with a skip or a hop every few steps, Kimberly Hart marched happily and freely while every other child in Angel Grove was fast asleep. Her smile grew bigger as she came closer to her destination.

Only two houses away, another child lay sleeping peacefully in his bed. A baseball-themed blanket was tucked around nine-year-old Jason Scott as he slept within the safety of his trophy-clad room. Beneath his bed was a hidden sleeping bag and pillow reserved for only one person, a secret undiscovered by his mother as of yet. He was snoring softly, a look of utter relaxation adorning his face beneath dark bangs. Nothing could possibly disturb his peace. Well, _almost_ nothing.

A soft tapping on the windows disturbed his peaceful slumber. He rubbed his face and groaned. Groggy eyes gazed lazily toward the window where the silhouette of a small figure sat on the branch outside. Kim again. Taking a glance at the clock, he realized it was just past one o'clock at night. He yawned as he pulled himself out from the covers and made his way over to the window.

He opened it, grunting a soft, "Come in." He assumed she was there for a place to stay for the night, as she did occasionally when she showed up at his window during late hours.

But before he could turn away from her, she grabbed his arm. "Jase, wait!" she whispered.

He looked back at her and raised a tired eyebrow at her secretive expression. "What?"

"Wanna come out and play?" she asked with a wicked grin.

"What? Of course not!" He quieted his voice as she put a finger to her lips, urging him not to wake his family. "It's the middle of the night," he whispered. "My parents will kill me!"

"Oh, come _on_," she whined. "It'll be fun, I promise."

"No way." He crossed his arms and looked into the little devil's eyes, not daring to reveal the temptation she stirred within him.

"Do you _always_ have to do what Mommy and Daddy tell you to do?" she teased menacingly.

"I do _not_!" he replied, annoyed by her outrageous accusation.

"Don't be a chicken then. Come play," she challenged him as she climbed down from her perch and disappeared below his window, confident he would follow.

He sighed. He was infuriated with the way she assumed he would just do whatever she asked. He was even more infuriated with the fact that she was right. He pulled a sweater out from his closet and slipped his shoes on before he climbed out of his window.

_**Two hours later…**_

"Quiet!" Jason whispered as he and Kim clamored through his bedroom window in a fit of giggles. They'd spent the last couple hours in a patch of woods by the park playing space pirates, an idea concocted by the smaller of the two. They'd only decided to return when Kim slipped and got mud on her pants. He never understood her obsession with her clothing. But it was enough to deter their playtime and convince her that it was time to go back to the house.

Kim let out a yawn as she shoved Jason playfully. "Now _that_ was fun. Admit it."

Jason had to smile at his small companion, refusing to verbally admit the truth in her statement. He climbed into bed while she tucked herself into the sleeping bag underneath his bed.

"We should do it again," he heard her whisper.

"I don't know," he replied. "I really don't wanna get in trouble."

"You won't," she scoffed at him. "We didn't get caught tonight, did we?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing," she interrupted him. "We won't get caught. My parents never catch me when I'm out for the night."

The truth in her words struck him mysteriously. He'd always wondered how she managed to sneak away so many nights to stay at his house without her parents noticing her absence. This was their secret though. Not a secret either had shared with the other had ever been revealed to another soul. They were each other's greatest adventures.

"My parents are different though," Jason argued. "They'd notice if I kept going away at night all the time."

"We'll only ever do it when they're sleeping then."

"I guess… but we can't do it _all_ the time though, okay?"

"Okay," she yawned. Before long, he could hear no movement or sound from her spot beneath the bed and he knew she was fast asleep.

Jason pondered all too wisely for a nine-year-old. Their secret sleepovers had started out strictly fun: secret adventures that they shared with no one else. Neither her parents nor his knew of her midnight excursions to his house that began nearly a year ago from her own house which lay on the other side of the block. Lately though, he started to suspect that her reasons for visiting weren't simply due to a bored eight-year-old suffering from slight insomnia. She seemed more tired these days, and he didn't understand why. She never talked about it and he had the feeling she didn't want him to ask. So he didn't.

She was his best friend, someone who understood his obsession with karate the way he understood hers with gymnastics. He loved her imagination and playing the games she would come up with. Once in a while he'd be irritated with having a girl for best friend, because she would become inexplicably enchanted with glitter and the color pink. But in the end, he was always able to see past the cooties and view her for who she was: someone he was meant to be friends with. Before long, satisfying thoughts of their friendship had lulled him to sleep.

The next morning Jason was stirred awake for church by his mother; Kim lay undetected underneath his bed. She left after Jason's mother had exited his room, giggling and promising of more nights full of fun to come. Needless to say, Jason soon found himself in trouble for falling asleep during church.

_**Third Grade  
Tuesday, December 12**__**th**__**, 23:45 (11:45 p.m.)  
Scott Residence – Jason's room**_

"Come on!" she whispered.

"I don't know, Kim…" Jason seemed really unsure. His mother had previously heard them moving about in his room after a midnight play date and entered his room to check on him. He'd stayed still in his bed, pretending to be fast asleep as Kim had hidden herself underneath his bed until his mother left. "We almost got caught last week."

"_Puh-leaze_, Jase?" the eight-year-old minx pouted at him with her best puppy dog face, which was only made more convincing by the moonlight.

He cocked his head at her silly expression and smirked. "Okay, _fine_."

"Yes!" she squealed as she nearly lost her balance on the branch.

"But this is the _last_ time, okay?" He gave her a warning glare, which she didn't take seriously due to the corners of his mouth twitching up revealing a small smile.

"O'course," she smiled angelically at him. He saw through that charade and shook his head as he ran to his closet to grab his shoes.

_**Third Grade  
Monday, February 14**__**th**__**, 12:40 p.m.  
Angel Grove Elementary - Recess**_

It was her ninth birthday. It also happened to be Valentine's day. She loved to make a big deal every year on this day. Kim often claimed that she was born on Valentine's Day because she was destined to fall in love with a prince on a white horse. But, of course, this would _only_ happen after she would become the gymnastics champion of the world, as well as the best Air Force pilot to have ever existed. Not to mention the prettiest and best dressed fashion icon the industry has to offer. After such proclamations, Jason was prone to pretending to gag.

This year, however, she was bored. And Jason knew from the uninterested roll of her eyes that trouble was coming. And he _knew_, just _knew,_ that she would somehow involve him in whatever scheme she had in mind today. Bored plus Kimberly Hart was never a good thing in Jason's mind. It always led to trouble.

Two weeks ago, she'd finished her math exam earlier than everyone else. She was better at fractions, where he had always struggled; he was better with long division. Initially she had taken great interest in in the work until she became bored and no longer found fractions challenging. While he still had a little less than half of his test to go, out of boredom she had kicked him from underneath their desks which were arranged in fours to make a table. He was furious that she had nabbed him while he was trying to concentrate and glared at her as she returned with an icy smile. The two other children who had sat at the same table looked up curiously as Kim stifled a giggle and Jason seethed from the pain on his shin. He'd smirked at her then, completely forgetting he was supposed to be finishing an exam. He'd tried to kick her back, but missed completely. She'd taken another swing and hit him again, this time causing him to yelp and fall out of his chair. After that incident, both sets of parents were called and the two were no longer allowed to sit at the same table.

"I'm _booored_," Kim announced unnecessarily as she leaned against the monkey bars and looked up at her companion, who was swinging back and forth on them.

He dropped down and shrugged at her, not wanting to indulge her.

"This is _recess_," she continued with an intense pout, ignoring his silence. "It's not _supposed_ to be boring."

"It's not," Jason argued as he swung himself around the pole of the monkey bars.

"Yes, it is," she stated simply. He watched as she tilted her head thoughtfully. Her eyes slid out of focus as she lolled her head to the side, somewhat thoughtfully. A sudden smile erupted onto her face, a smile that Jason knew would lead to trouble. "Let's leave."

"Leave?"

"Yeah, leave."

"Leave what?"

"School, duh!" she got up and dragged him by the arm to their teacher, Mrs. Johnson. At the sight of the two children, the teacher crossed her arms in what she hoped was an intimidating posture. Jason was sure she suspected they were up to something mischievous.

"Can we go to the bathroom?" Kim asked in her sweetest voice, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Shirley Johnson was not a fool. Since Kimberly Hart and Jason Scott had stepped foot into her classroom, she knew she'd have her work cut out for her. Kimberly was very outgoing and enjoyable to have in class, but far too cheeky and daring. She loved to test her limits. Jason, on the other hand, was far more reserved but every bit the polite gentlemen his parents raised him to be. The two were inseparable, and Mrs. Johnson was not quite sure why. However, she didn't find pleasure in denying such a simple request. After all, what could go wrong with a simple bathroom trip?

"Sure," Mrs. Johnson replied, eyeing Kimberly's secretive smile suspiciously. "But if you don't come back in _five minutes_, I'm coming to find you."

Kim smiled brightly as Jason fidgeted. "Okay!" she agreed.

Together the two children trotted off towards the building, Kimberly in the lead and Jason trudging after her reluctantly.

"You see," Jason whispered harshly once they made it inside the school, "she's coming to get us in five minutes. We _can't_ leave!"

"Sure we can," Kim stated simply, gazing back and forth through the school hallway.

"Didn't you hear me? She's gonna come look for us and she'll know we're missing!"

Kim seemed to consider this, to Jason's relief. But his relief was short lived, because she suddenly smiled in that I'm-going-to-get-you-grounded-for-life fashion he had come to know well since he met her in kindergarten.

"She won't come back in if the fire alarm goes off," Kim said with a menacing smile.

Jason stared at her disbelievingly. She couldn't be serious. He frowned at her.

"Oh, come on!" she pleaded. "I don't wanna be at school today. Anyway, it's my birthday. This can be your birthday present to me!"

"Uh-uh," Jason protested, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "No way!"

"Please, Jason?" she begged. "Let's leave and go play, let's get the _hell_ out of here!"

Normally Jason would get cross with her for using curse words, but at this moment something stopped him. For the first time since he'd known her, he saw something different in her eyes that he'd never seen before. Something sad, something almost desperate. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though she _needed_ this. It wasn't boredom that was driving her to do these things, it was certainly something else… something he wasn't sure he wanted to know about.

"Okay, _fine_!" he finally caved in. "But _you_ pull it!"

"What? No way!" she gave him an incredulous look.

"It's _your_ brilliant idea!"

"But it's my birthday," she pouted at him.

Jason growled. He couldn't believe he was about to do this for her. He walked down the hall with Kim by his side and they stopped before the red lever. He gulped as Kim shoved him towards it.

"Just do it!" she whispered urgently.

Jason was scared. He looked back at Kim and she gave him an encouraging smile. Before he realized it, his hand was headed ominously toward the lever.

In the very next second, they were both covering their ears as the alarm went off blaring. Bright lights were flashing all along the hallway and Kim's eyes went wide as students and teachers began to pour out of classrooms.

"Come on!" Kim yelled above the alarm as she grabbed Jason's wrist and dragged him out towards the main exit. He followed obediently.

They were almost out the door when the collars of their shirts were yanked backwards. They gulped simultaneously and looked up guiltily and red-handed at their captor who stared down at them disappointedly. Mrs. Johnson took them each by the arms and led them towards the front office without a word.

The dynamic duo looked at each other apprehensively before they met their doom.

_**Same Day that Evening… 11:21 p.m.  
Scott Residence – Jason's Room**_

Jason was wide awake, mulling over the events of that day in his head. What was he thinking pulling that fire alarm? In hindsight, it had truly been a terrible idea. His mother had been so furious with him when she came to pick him up from school. His father was one hundred times angrier than his mother was when he came home after his shift. A $500 fine from the fire department and a week's suspension from school were distributed to both him and Kimberly.

He heard the ritualistic tapping on his bedroom window. Somehow he knew she was coming over to see him tonight. He sighed as he got up and opened the window for her.

He didn't say a word as she shuffled into his bedroom.

He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I don't wanna play tonight."

"Me neither," she responded too casually, seemingly unaffected by the day's events.

Jason climbed back under the covers as she slid underneath to her cozy spot on the carpet beneath his bed.

"How mad are they?" she asked him once they were tucked in.

"My mom and dad?" Jason replied. "Pretty mad… Never seen them so angry. I'm grounded. _Again_."

"Ouch," she replied.

"And I was just ungrounded from that stupid math test thing too…"

"Sorry." She paused, and to his dismay she did not sound very sorry at all. "How long you grounded for?"

"A month," he stated miserably. "They asked what happened and why I did it, so I told them. Then they kept saying you're a bad influence."

Kimberly was unnaturally silent at his words.

"What about you?" Jason asked after a small awkward silence.

"My parents?"

"Yeah, weren't they mad?"

"Yeah…" her voice drifted as though she was thinking hard. "… at each other anyway."

Jason was taken aback by her words. "They aren't mad at you at all?"

"Not really. They have other things to worry about right now."

"Oh," Jason replied, not knowing what else to say. He halfway wished he could switch places with Kim so he wouldn't be grounded for a month. "So why are you here? It's your birthday. You should be at home with your family."

"It's still my birthday," she repeated slowly. "I don't get to have a party or a cake, so I'd rather spend it with you."

Jason was embarrassed and flattered at her affectionate statement. This was one of those uncomfortable moments of having a girl for a best friend. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Oh, hey!" he said suddenly, shifting the subject. "I completely forgot! I got you something…"

He hopped out of bed and yanked his closet open. He reappeared with a fluffy object in his hands. He slid it under the bed where he saw tiny hands grasp it.

"Wow…" he heard Kim say as he climbed back under the covers. He'd found a stuffed pink whale while at the store with his mother a week ago. It was meant for Kim. He'd begged his mother to let him get it for her birthday. It was Kim's favorite color too. "Thanks, Jase!"

Jason smiled at the sincerity of her voice.

"You know," she continued. "It's also still Valentine's Day. You know why I was born on Valentine's Day, don't ya, Jase?"

He groaned and buried his face in his pillow as she retold her tale of how she was destined to fall in love with a prince on a white horse… or maybe even a white tiger.

_**Summer Holiday between Third and Fourth Grade  
Friday, July 15**__**th**__**, 2:22 p.m.  
Angel Grove Police Department – Officer Scott's Office**_

Kim's infectious laughter filled the office at the ridiculous drawing Jason had conjured up and shown her. It was a drawing of a distorted red dragon clawing off the head of a golden monkey with wings.

Two best friends were spending the day with Jason's father while his mother was taking his little brother to a doctor's appointment. Kim had tagged along on a play date. Dean Scott had provided them with scrap paper and pens to entertain themselves with as he sat at his desk, idly sifting through his paperwork.

He would occasionally look over at his son and his mischievous friend, curious about what made such opposites get along so well. Kimberly was quite girly, sassy, a little spoiled, but very bright. Jason was very much a typical little boy who loved monster trucks, karate, and baseball, but he had a very determined and kind personality.

Under normal circumstances, Jason had terrific judgment for someone his age. He knew right from wrong and never spoke back to his parents. Dean just couldn't understand how Kimberly could so often put atrocious ideas into his son's head. Like the fire alarm incident. Or soon after that, the time she convinced him that the shredder was actually a toy and ended up destroying the Scotts' tax paperwork. After that she convinced him that they could fly, so they jumped off the roof. Jason ended up spraining his ankle. Then last month when Kim thought it would be a great idea for Jason to steal his father's tools so they could build a giant robot to fight monsters… which resulted in the tools being damaged, as well as the back corner of the garage. The list went on.

Dean understood that a woman could make a man do things he normally wouldn't do. But this wasn't love or a relationship. These were _children_, who were genuine friends through and through, almost as though they had known each other a _lifetime_… It was almost unnerving for Dean Scott to think about.

"Here, look at mine!" Kim shoved her drawing in Jason's face.

Jason's face scrunched up into a disgusted expression. "_What_… is _that_?" he asked as he pushed away her offensive drawing of what resembled a crooked girl carrying shopping bags.

"It's an outfit I designed all by myself," she declared proudly, unaffected by Jason's negative response and speaking louder when he groaned in her direction. "See, look. She has a jeans jacket with some jewels and glitter, a skirt and some tennis shoes!"

Jason rolled his eyes and looked at his father as he muttered exasperatedly, "_Girls_…"

Dean laughed at his son's reaction. Before long, the two friends had moved on to conversation concerning a plan to make their own comic book.

There it was again, Dean realized. How two opposites so young could get along so easily was beyond him. If he recalled correctly, when he was a child, if a girl said anything frilly like Kim had just done he would've stopped playing with her right then and there. But Jason didn't. And Kim wasn't deterred by Jason's boyish antics either. They seemed far too young to be so accepting of their differences, didn't they? Two nine-year-olds could not possibly have the emotional maturity to move on past so many dissimilarities.

_**Fourth Grade  
Friday, September 24**__**th**__**, 12:36 a.m.  
Scott Residence – Jason's Room**_

Jason woke to the sound of shuffling in his room. He opened one eye and saw Kim's huddled form crawling through his bedroom window. "Hey," he said groggily.

"Hey," she sniffled back at him. It was obvious she'd been crying.

In an instant, Jason was wide awake.

"What's wrong?" he asked seriously as she made her way over to his bed.

"Nothin'," she responded softly.

"I don't believe that," he said.

"Don't wanna talk about it," she said after a small while. She sat down on his bed, facing the wall so he couldn't see her face.

"Okay," he replied awkwardly with a shrug. He wouldn't force her if she didn't want to. But being a child with the emotional capacity of the male he was, he wasn't sure how to handle a crying girl. Against his better judgment, he asked, "Well… do you want to go outside and play?"

He certainly would've risked getting into trouble again if it meant she would stop feeling sad.

"Not tonight," she replied sadly.

He frowned. He resorted to rummaging through his nightstand drawer where he hid gummy worms from his tenth birthday party last week. He held them out towards her as a cheer-up present. She made no move for the offering.

He raised an eyebrow at her. Something was definitely up. She _always_ wanted gummy worms. "Oh, come on," he said as he pushed her gently. "We can play Air Force outside, you _love_ to play that."

"I don't know…"

"What's the matter?" he teased with a grin that mimicked her own trademark smile. "Do you _always _do what mommy and daddy tell you to do?"

He knew he'd won as soon as the words flew out of his mouth. She would never back down from a challenge that she'd used against him so many times before. She looked back at him over her shoulder with a smile through her tear-streaked face.

"Not a chance," she shot back as she reached over and punched his shoulder. She wiped her eyes dry with her sleeves and sniffled.

"Then let's go," he smiled at her as he rubbed the spot where she hit him.

They giggled as he threw on a hoodie over his pajamas, her initial sadness forgotten. She was climbing back out the window when she stopped and gave him a disgusted look while he was putting on his shoes.

"What?" he asked when he realized she was staring at him.

"Your hoodie doesn't match your pajama bottoms," she whispered exasperatedly.

In response, he threw a gummy worm at her. She laughed and they climbed down together, ready to play the night away as any sad thoughts Kim had been burdened with drifted away into the cool California night.

_**Fourth Grade – Christmas Break  
Sunday, December 25**__**th**__**, 2:36 a.m.  
Scott Residence – Jason's Bedroom**_

It was early Christmas morning, and Jason had only fallen asleep an hour ago due to the excitement of the holiday. He simply couldn't wait until he could open his presents. He was sure his parents got him the new Street Fighter game he was asking for. The excitement had kept him up longer than he'd have liked, but it was the same for him every Christmas and Birthday. And after not being grounded for a while longer than usual, this was turning out to be one of the best Christmases he'd had in his young life.

Unfortunately, the holiday wasn't so great for his best friend.

"_Jason_."

He didn't stir.

"_Jason, get up_."

He groaned. At least that was something. Kim rolled her eyes.

"_Jason!_"

Now she was shaking him awake. He finally turned and opened an eye at her.

"Oh, hey," he yawned. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Never mind that," she whispered to him. "Come on, let's go!"

"What?" Jason was wide awake now. "No, I thought I told you last week I don't wanna do this anymore."

"Oh come on, Jason," she pouted as she yanked his blanket off. "Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" he whispered back at her. "My mom is starting to think something's up. She keeps getting mad about dirt on my pajamas."

"So what?" He made a look at her. "It's just dirt."

He couldn't believe his ears. 'Just dirt' was not a phrase used by Kimberly Hart. Something was severely wrong.

"It's _Christmas_! I actually _like_ not being grounded! I gotta be up early tomorrow when my Dad gets off from work, for presents and breakfast with my family, and-"

"Look," she interrupted with an eerie smile he could barely see in the dark. She slipped her backpack off. Until then, he hadn't realized she'd been carrying it. He brushed the thought off as she continued. "I brought you Ring Pops," she said in a sing song voice to sweeten the bribe.

Jason licked his lips. He really did love candy Ring Pops. _But no_. These midnight excursions were getting out of hand. Last week, Kim had nearly set the park on fire with a lighter she stole from her dad…

"Not tonight, Kim," Jason sighed, reluctantly pushing the candy offering out of his face. "_My _parents actually get mad when I do bad stuff."

And then he saw it again.

Her dark eyes went wide and stoic. He saw an expression on her face he knew he wasn't supposed to see on children. He saw the desperation again, the despair. It was enough to startle him.

"Well, I guess I can't force you," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. She stuffed the candy back into her bag and slung it over her shoulder as she headed towards the window. "But I'm going to play. I'll be back later to sleep if you keep your window open."

"Wait," Jason sighed disappointedly, caving in. "I'm coming." He knew couldn't just let her go out by herself. He couldn't stand it if something happened to her and he wasn't there to help. Besides, they always had fun. And he had even less to worry about since his father was working an overnight shift at the PD. Tonight wouldn't be any different than any other night, _right_?

She looked back from her perch by his window and smiled genuinely at him.

He got out of bed and grabbed his jacket. "I still get those Ring Pops though, right?"

Her eyes twinkled menacingly. "O'course."

_**One hour later… 3:56 a.m.  
Angel Grove Park**_

"You got me!" Jason squealed theatrically grabbing at his chest and falling to his knees onto the grass.

"Don't you understand, Optimus Prime," Kim lowered her voice as she hoisted a make-believe bazooka onto her shoulder. "You'll never win!"

With a great heave, she mimicked a gigantic _boom_ and fell backwards laughing, the fire of the imaginary bazooka causing disastrous recoil.

The two children lay laughing in the grass for several long seconds. Jason yawned. "Okay, okay," he said. "I'm tired and we have to get up for presents in a couple hours."

Kim sat up suddenly. "Let's not go back," she said boldly with a glint in her eyes.

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

"It's better here," she shrugged. "Let's just stay."

"You're crazy," Jason muttered. "It's _Christmas_! Don't you want your presents at home?"

"Nah," Kim said softly, looking away from him.

"You don't want presents?" This was becoming too much for Jason to comprehend. Kim was adorned with more toys than he would probably ever come across in his entire childhood. He couldn't understand why she was acting like it was a _bad_ thing. "What about your mom and dad?"

She still didn't look at him. After a small pause she finally spoke.

"I feel sick," she said in a tiny voice, changing the subject.

"You do?" Jason asked, scooting around her so he could see her face. He didn't think she seemed out of the ordinary, at least health wise. "What's wrong?"

"My tummy hurts." She wrapped her arms protectively around her midsection.

"How come?"

"I don't know…" her voice trailed off and Jason saw for a moment that her eyes had unfocused. She blinked. He could tell that thoughts were swarming secretively in her head. Worry started to boil inside his stomach.

"No, really," Jason put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him with big eyes. _Was she afraid of him?_ The thought startled him. He never considered himself a scary person.

Her lips parted momentarily as though she was considering saying something, but she held back and shook her head.

Jason didn't know what to make of her behavior. He only knew he hated whatever was making her act like this. He thought for a moment.

"Okay," he said gently as he stood up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet. "You don't have to go home. You can stay at my place and we'll ask my mom and your parents-"

"No!" she cut him off in a sharp voice, abruptly pulling her hand out of his.

Jason was slightly hurt. She may have been a handful more than her fair share of times, but she'd never sounded so _mean_. "What? Why not?"

"I don't wanna go back to your house," she muttered angrily in a shaky voice.

"Okay…" Jason noted the tears brimming in her eyes. Exactly what had happened to change her mood so drastically? "And you don't want to go back to your house?"

She shook her head furiously in response, seemingly unable to find her voice anymore.

There was unnerving silence between them. He was only just now realizing how cold it was outside. She stood there before him, trembling angrily or sadly – he wasn't sure – looking very exposed in the night air. He didn't know what to do; but he was fully aware that this was about to turn into something big.

He saw her hand clutch her backpack. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What's in the bag?" he asked suddenly.

"Nothing!" she managed spit out at him.

"Let me see," he demanded as tried to grab it from her.

"No, let go!" She fought him hard to keep her backpack in her possession.

But he was bigger, a fact neither had previously ever really had to consider, and a lot stronger. With one great yank, he had it from her. The struggle had pulled the zipper open. A toothbrush fell out.

Jason cocked his head curiously, and he picked it up before she could grab it. "What's this?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" she retorted as she rolled her eyes at him.

Jason swiftly swung her backpack away before she could stop him and opened it the rest of the way. Inside he found clothing and a pretty fat wad of cash. "What are you doing with all of this?" he asked, feeling even more suspicious.

"Give it back, Jason!" she cried out defensively at him. She made to grab for it, but Jason was too fast. He kept it from her reach with very little effort. "Hey, that's _mine_!"

"You're running away!" he realized, his face suddenly falling. He didn't mean to sound accusing, but he was starting to grow angry with her. How dare she even think of leaving him?

She huffed, but didn't say anything. Her face was even redder now, and she let out an unexpected tiny sob. The sight softened Jason's anger. Enough was enough… something was severely wrong, and it was about time he find out.

"_Why_?" he demanded.

"It's none of your business," she growled through tears, throwing punches at his chest as though he had slapped her. "Now give it back, Jase! I _need_ that!"

"No!" he defied her, blocking her tiny fists easily. "Not until you tell me why!"

She stopped swinging her hands at him and looked him dead on. She knew he was serious. Jason watched her painfully. She seemed to consider what she was going to say, but her face turned redder and he could see she was about to explode.

"_My parents are getting divorced!_" She sobbed again, harder this time.

"Wait – _what?!_" He was shocked at the news. He hadn't expected her to say anything like that. She took advantage of his stupor and yanked her backpack from him. He made no move to stop her, but only watched numbly as she shoved her toothbrush back into her bag.

"They _fight_," she said gruffly as she forced the zipper shut. "All the time!"

Everything suddenly made sense to Jason: why she left her house so frequently, why she disregarded the toys lavished upon her, why she felt she had no limits when it came to exploring dangerous territory. In fact, he realized, this was not her first runaway attempt. He was momentarily brought back to her ninth birthday last year when they'd pulled the fire alarm in an attempt to ditch school.

It was clear now how horribly her parents was affecting her, and he was shocked to find that it had been years in the making. "How long has this been going on?" he asked even though he knew the answer. His tone was far gentler and kinder now that her secret was out.

"Since my seventh birthday," she replied shakily, without looking him in the eye. He waited for further explanation. She sighed exasperatedly wiping her eyes furiously with her sleeve. "First my mom got me that $300 gift card from Limited Too. Then my dad bought me that stupid bike I wanted so bad. Then _she_ bought me the Nintendo and some games. And then _he_ bought a whole line of special edition Barbies… And the stupid list goes on!"

Jason could see that she was having trouble finishing her story. She seemed less angry at him and more at her situation.

Jason didn't say anything, for fear of making her angry again. He stood silently as she took some deep breaths. He could tell she hadn't told a soul about this. He was honored… and _horrified_. And although he wasn't sure what to do or say, he thought that it might mean more to her for him to just listen.

She continued… cautiously. She looked up to him with wide eyes.

"At first I couldn't figure out why they kept buying me stuff I didn't even want, but then I heard them one night… they were fighting. _They kept trying to outdo each other!_ They didn't even realize that I didn't want any of those stupid toys anymore!"

Jason took the opportunity to speak while she wiped her eyes again. "They kept fighting after that?" he asked.

She nodded. "They didn't just fight at night when they thought I was sleeping. And it wasn't always about toys and things. He was always mad because she works all the time. Dad wanted to go on a vacation, but she couldn't get the time off or something so we didn't go. And then she got fired, and they fought about that instead. If it wasn't that, then it was something else. Who left the milk out, or if the TV was on too loud, who was supposed to make dinner, or pick me up from gymnastics… All _stupid_ stuff!"

"Maybe…" Jason suggested feebly, "Maybe they'll work it out somehow?"

She looked back at him darkly. "I saw my dad kissing some lady from his work. They're _never_ going to get back together. They _hate_ each other. I don't see either of them much and I don't want to either. My dad moved out. My mom is always out trying to find a job or get interviews, and she doesn't even _want_ to be at home!"

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked incredulously, slightly hurt that she had kept something so big from him. He felt so wrong about how close he thought they were.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered, wiping a tear with her sleeve.

"Of course it does!" he cried out incredulously.

"You wouldn't get it!" she shouted. "How could you _possibly_ understand?!"

He could only stare guiltily, ashamed of his outburst at her. When he couldn't find anything thing to say to her, she continued with new tears.

"You were right, what you said earlier," she managed to choke out. "_Your_ mom and dad _do_ get mad when you do bad things! _Mine don't!_ Mine don't even notice that I'm gone all night! And if they _ever do_ find out about us sneaking out all the time, all they'll do is blame each other for it when it's _my _fault!"

Jason once again didn't know what to say as she screamed at him furiously in tears. He felt guilty for what he'd said earlier about his parents being angry with him. He suddenly realized how thankful he should've felt for having parents who cared to notice if he did something bad.

"I'm _never_ going home!" she sobbed violently.

And before Jason could say anything more, she took off into the darkness without him. She had disappeared from his view momentarily until he gathered his wits enough to chase after her.

"Kim!" Jason called as he sprinted after her through the wood. "Wait!"

"No!" she screamed over her shoulder as they made it out of the forest and toward the main road. "I _won't_ go back!"

"Please!" Jason pleaded. He couldn't believe how fast she was for being so small.

He heard it just before Kim was able to reach the road: the low rumble of a car engine coming nearer. It was then that Jason saw what Kim couldn't see in through her tear-stained eyes. A vehicle was coming down the road she was about to cross.

"Kim, stop!" Jason called out frantically.

She didn't listen. Her tiny feet sprinted away from him desperately and onto the paved road where she slipped forward onto her knees. Jason's eyes went wide when the car's headlights found her, and before he knew it he was dashing onto the road. The screech of the car breaks drowned out both their screams.

_**Christmas Morning - 4:30 a.m.  
Officer Dean Scott's Squad Vehicle**_

Dean Scott was beyond anxious. It very early Christmas morning when he was dispatched for a call concerning two children involved in an accident. He was due to return home by eight o'clock in the morning, but it certainly seemed that wasn't going to happen depending on how serious this accident was.

It was _Christmas_ for Pete's sake, he thought miserably. Children shouldn't be getting hurt on perhaps the most important day of the year out of their young lives. He sincerely hoped that whatever injuries sustained weren't serious.

He pulled up his squad car up to the taped off scene. The ambulance and police lights seemed to echo a whirlwind of color silently through the night. Static radio dispatch rang through the air through the conversations among the city officials. He frowned when he realized he was merely a quarter mile from his own house. That an accident like this could happen so close to home unnerved him. Thankfully, both his children were home safe in bed.

A good friend of Dean's and fellow police officer, John Clemmons, stopped him before he could step forward.

"What's this about?" Dean asked suspiciously when he was held back. His stomach tightened momentarily at the odd gesture – a gesture he had often used on loved ones of victims.

"Dean," John said, his voice eerily low and serious, "It's _Jason_-"

As soon as his son's name was mentioned, all of Dean's professional demeanor went out the window. He shoved past John, his stomach twisting sickeningly as he drew the attention of his coworkers. "Where is he?!"

"Wait!" John protested, placing a hand on Dean's shoulder to restrain him. "He wasn't-"

"Jason!" Dean called, cutting him off. He shoved through the paramedics and colleagues a little more violently than he intended. His eyes bore into the scene before him. A black Toyota Camry was angled unnaturally in the middle of the road, and there was blood on the license plate and gravel. The sight made him sick to his stomach. "_Jason!_" he called out frantically, uncaring of how crazy he sounded at the scene.

"He's _here_!" John said, yanking his friend to the side of the road. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. Calm down!"

He led Dean to the other side of the car where his eldest son sat pale-faced and grief-stricken on the curb. A blanket was wrapped securely around him and his pajama pants were barely visible through an opening.

Dean was on his knees before his son in less than a second, taking his squarely by the shoulders. "Son?" he pleaded. "Are you all right?"

"Dad?" Jason responded with a dry, rough voice when he finally noticed his father. Dean noted that his son was very white in the face.

"He's _fine_," Joyce Oliver, a paramedic he was acquainted with due to several joint calls in the past, explained. "He wasn't hit, Dean. He's just in shock."

Dean nodded his thanks and forced his son to look into his eyes. "Where's your mother?" he inquired worriedly.

"She – she's at home," Jason stuttered while shaking his head, "with Lee."

"What are you _doing_ out here?!" Dean demanded harshly.

Jason's mouth parted silently before he managed to say just one word. "Kim," he gasped breathlessly.

Dean suddenly realized who had been hit. His stomach sank. Jason's best friend. What the hell were they doing out here on Christmas morning by themselves?

"I – I tried to stop her!" Jason exclaimed desperately at his father as though it were an apology.

"Okay," his father said soothingly as he cupped his son's face. Now wasn't the time to be angry. "I'm going to find out if Kim's all right," he explained softly. "I'll be right back."

Jason nodded in his grasp acceptingly.

"I'll stay with him, Dean," Joyce reassured him. Dean nodded courteously to her.

"She's over here," John directed, gesturing in toward the flashing ambulance lights.

Along the way, he overheard a woman hysterically speaking to more of his coworkers. He only caught bits and pieces of what she was saying: "-was only able to slow down because of the boy… he was flagging me down… she was so small that I didn't see-!"

Dean's stomach tightened and he progressed to a jog toward the ambulance.

His heart sank when Kimberly's small form appeared on a stretcher. She looked far more vulnerable than normal in a neck brace. The left side of her head and hair was matted in blood. He noted with great discomfort that she was missing a shoe. It was near impossible to see how badly she was hurt.

"Kimmy?" he demanded when he reached her side, hoping to hear her respond. Her eyes were merely half open, and her fingers wiggled slightly at his touch.

One of the paramedics shook his head. "She's slipping in and out," he explained. "There's a good laceration on her head, which is why there appears to be so much blood. Can't tell if there's any real damage yet. We're taking her in to the hospital now."

Dean nodded. He bent down to Kimberly's ear and whispered urgently, "We'll be with you soon, Kimmy. Jason and I will be right with you, promise." He wasn't sure if she heard him.

He was ushered back gently by another apologetic paramedic and he backed away without a fight.

He turned to John as he ran a hand through his hair anxiously. "Have you contacted her parents?" he asked.

_**Christmas Morning – 7:55 a.m.  
Pediatric ER, Angel Grove Memorial**_

Jason had come out of shock hours ago. He sat on a hospital bed, feet dangling off the side, in the pediatric emergency room. He was feeling incredibly agitated. Somewhere nearby Kim was being treated. He fought the urge to escape the confines of his designated area to find her.

Unfortunately, his mother was not about to let him out of her sight for the rest of his natural life.

Jason and his mother were still waiting for news on the specifics of Kim's condition even though they were heartily reassured that she would make a full recovery. Jason, however, wasn't going to believe anything until he was able to see her with his own eyes. His father was fortunate to accompany both Kimberly's parents to see her, he thought jealously, all while he was stuck here.

His mother, like his father, didn't show as much anger as they did worry. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that he was anywhere near off the hook, but he was certainly thankful that their priorities still lay with his and Kim's well-being. He did wonder briefly after his fight with Kimberly what her parents would think. However, he was soon about to find out.

Dean led Kimberly's mother and father into the room. Jason's father, still in uniform, looked completely drained, shooting a pang of guilt into Jason's stomach.

Jason was more than surprised when Kimberly's tearful mother wrapped him into a tight hug. He was so taken aback by the gesture, he didn't know what to do except to wrap his arms around her. She pulled away and looked down at him with such raw emotion. Jason was again discomforted.

"It's okay, Mrs. Hart," he reassured her awkwardly.

She shook her head and said, "You _saved_ her!"

Mr. Hart, a man who had always been a mystery to Jason, spoke with utmost sincerity, his voice breaking. "Thank you, Jason."

Jason was appalled and bewildered. "I – I didn't save her," he shook his head in protest. If anything, Jason thought, this was his fault for letting her get away. He wasn't about to take credit for something he didn't do.

"The woman driving the car," Dean began to explain, "She was only able to slow down because you ran onto the street waving at her. She didn't even see Kim when she was hit."

"But I don't remember…" Jason trailed off. True, the events of the crash were still blurry in his mind. He didn't remember all of it, nor did he _want_ to either.

"It's true that neither of you should have been out there in the first place, son," his mother scolded in a stern voice before it softened. "But sometimes we're braver if we react by instinct, even if you don't remember it."

Jason knew it was a praise he didn't deserve. He looked down at his feet, torn with guilt.

"Jason," his father commanded his attention.

He looked up with tear-brimmed eyes at his father and did not answer.

"What were you two doing out there in the middle of the night?" he demanded.

"It's a long story," Jason muttered, thinking back to when Kimberly first begged him to climb out of his bedroom window.

His father's arms crossed suspiciously. "We've got time," he replied sternly.

Jason looked back down at his feet and bit his lip. What he was about to reveal would burden Kim's parents far more than his own. He looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Hart with a severely regretful expression wondering where he should start.

He took a deep breath and began, "Kim was going to run away tonight…"

_**Christmas Morning – 9:15 a.m.  
Pediatric ER, Angel Grove Memorial**_

To his surprise Jason was allowed to see her privately, only because Kimberly was being what they deemed 'difficult' and seemed to not want anything to do with adults. Apparently, Jason's revelation of their frequent midnight outings and her intention to run away had ignited a fuse.

Nevertheless, Jason could care less right now whether Kim was furious with him or not. He leaned against her hospital room doorway and saw her sitting up in bed, arms crossed. Although there was a bandage on her head and she was now sporting a cast on her left arm, she seemed relatively normal. She was absolutely fuming, yes, but alive and well and very clearly herself. In that moment, it felt as though his heart began to beat again. He realized his heart must've stopped since the last time he saw her lying in the middle of the road. He let the relief wash through him like a refreshing waterfall.

She noticed him in the doorway and huffed. He tried to hide his relieved smile. He could tell she was angry to see him and yet wanted him to stay. He decided the latter of her emotions outweighed the first. He stepped into the room and made his way over to her bedside - cautiously.

"I'm _mad_ at you," she declared unnecessarily.

Jason grinned sheepishly. "I know," he replied. He wasn't feeling sorry at all.

There was silence after that. It was clearly more awkward for Kim than Jason as she seemed to be struggling with the inner turmoil of whether she loved or hated her best friend.

Before he knew it, she was bursting with words and seemingly forgot that she was mad at Jason. "Everyone keeps telling me what I shouldn't do!" she exclaimed, eyes still furrowed.

"What's wrong with that?" Jason asked as he leaned against the railing of her bed. He knew without explanation that she was talking about her parents. He'd overheard that she had finally fought with them, quite loudly in fact. He was somewhat relieved to hear that _she_ fought _them _for a change, rather than her parents fighting each other as per usual. He felt like it should be a welcome change of pace for her.

"Why should I listen to them?" she asked in a vehement whisper, crossing her arms again. "Go figure! The _one_ time they notice anything about me and they think I'm _crazy_!

"Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?" Jason asked. "To be noticed? Anyway, I think they just want you to stay safe and _not_ get hit by cars."

"They do _not_," Kim pouted, ignoring his irrefutable logic. "Until tonight they haven't cared what I've been doing all along. They don't know what they're talking about. They didn't care all this time and now they're going to send me to _counseling_?! That's not _fair_!"

She kicked at the railing in frustration, making him jump back a bit. He didn't know how to reply momentarily. He realized it was easier for her to be angry than sad. He painfully remembered her admission of guilt when they fought in the woods. He decided to push the subject.

"None of this is your fault, you know," he said quietly.

Her anger had subsided as soon as he let those words loose. She shook her head violently.

"All they ever wanted to do before this," her voice quieted soberly as her angry expression slipped into the saddest face Jason had ever seen in his entire young life, "All they want is to yell at each other. When they should've blamed _me_. This is my fault," she said softly.

Jason's shoulders sagged. He didn't know what to say or do for his friend to make her feel better. All he knew was she didn't deserve to feel this way.

"Everything, Jase," she continued. She wasn't crying like she was earlier that morning, but Jason would've preferred it if she was. This wasn't normal for a nine-year-old. She wasn't supposed to be going through this.

"They fight over _me_," she went on. "That's why everything is a mess. They're divorcing because of _me_. They fought over me and now they're splitting up because of me. _Everything_… _it was my fault._"

He didn't know what to say to her to make it all go away. He was now very aware of his good upbringing. He felt lucky. His mother had been there through every tear he had ever shed in his life. If there was anything he could learn from her, it was how to be there for someone else. His parents had all his life presented him with a lesson that he was just now grasping. He realized it was his turn to teach her; to _lead_ her.

She said with finality, "It was my fault you got in trouble with your parents. And I'm really sorry."

For the first time since they'd started getting into so much mischief, she actually looked and sounded sincerely apologetic for her actions. But Jason wouldn't have it.

He frowned seriously. "No," he stated firmly. "It _wasn't_ your fault that I got in trouble. _I_ was the one who climbed out my bedroom window all by myself. _I_ was the one that pulled that fire alarm. _I_ was the one who put the firecracker in Mr. Jameson's mailbox. And _I_ was the one who shredded the papers in my dad's office. It wasn't _you_ who made me do anything, it was _me_."

"Those were all _my_ ideas," she argued.

"True, but you never _forced _me to do any of it." He realized after their scuffle over her backpack in the woods how much stronger he was than her. She had _never_, and _couldn't_, physically make him do anything he didn't want to.

He continued, "My dad always tells me that in the end, the decision is always mine… no matter what anyone else says or does to make me do anything."

She looked up at him with indecisive eyes. He feared the look of self-hatred he found when he looked into her brown depths. "And I don't think your parents fighting or getting a divorce is your fault either."

Kim looked away at his last statement. He knew she didn't believe him, and he didn't know how to make her see otherwise.

"Then why is everything changing?" she demanded, and he realized the anger was coming back. "I don't want to listen to them. They're going to make me see a psychologist. And they're _still_ getting divorced! Why are they ruining _everything_?!"

He hushed her when her voice carried out of the room. She quieted momentarily before she exclaimed quietly, "I don't trust them!"

Jason stood thoughtfully for a moment before he spoke. Right now, though she expressed only anger and sadness, he could tell that she was terrified of what lay ahead of her.

"Do you trust _me_?" he asked carefully.

Eyebrows still furrowed in anger, she met his eyes. "_No_," she lied defiantly.

Jason raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. Then she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, _yes_," she admitted before pausing again. "More than anyone else actually."

For the first time in the duration their friendship, her vocal closeness to him didn't embarrass him. Perhaps it was her accident and the thought of losing his best friend, but tonight Jason embraced their closeness openly. He pulled down the railing of her bedside and leaned in close.

"You don't have to listen to them then yet if you don't trust them," he offered simply. "So for now, just listen to _me_."

Her eyes softened in confusion, and she didn't reply.

"Trust _me_," he explained as though it were the easiest solution. "I won't let anything bad happen to you again, and you know it."

"Well," she considered carefully. "Then what do I do about counseling? I _don't_ want to do it."

He noted inwardly that her voice had changed drastically from angry to apprehensive. She sounded younger than usual.

"I think you should give it a try before we decide if it's a bad idea," he said honestly.

"I guess," she began to relent. "But I won't like it."

"And your parents too," Jason elaborated.

"What about them?" she asked, the venom swelling back into her voice.

"I think you should give them another chance," he said as gently as he could.

"Why?" she asked, her wide eyes piercing into him. "They've had enough chances."

"Well, remember what you said earlier?" Jason asked. "You said that everything's going to be different from now on."

"So?" she challenged, her bottom lip poking out threateningly.

"So maybe _different_ will be _better_," he offered. "It can't get any worse, right? But we won't know until you try it."

Jason shoved her gently so she scooted over on the hospital bed. He climbed in next to her and said, "I'll be with you the whole way if you want."

She yawned and didn't reply, but leaned her head against his shoulder, arms still crossed in silent indignation. He took her silence as reluctant surrender.

"Just follow me," Jason reassured her in a whisper. "If you let me, I'll guide you through all of this. I'll lead you."

_**Six Years Later – Tenth Grade  
Saturday, September 2**__**nd**__**, 6:38 a.m.  
Scott Residence – Jason's Bedroom**_

"_Oh, my God._"

Jason stirred slightly at the overly exaggerated feminine voice. Once half awake, he was beginning to register what, or in this case who, had disrupted his slumber yet again.

"Kim?" he mumbled instinctively, lifting his head groggily to look around his bedroom. Sure enough, his longtime companion stood gaping at him, a pink jacket over her karate gi. Her gymnastics duffel was slung around her shoulder. He blinked in confusion at her attire and realized it must be Saturday. They had morning martial arts classes, and she always practiced gymnastics afterward. Behind her, his window curtains were blowing guiltily, giving away her obvious entrance point.

Kim threw her index fingers up in a mock cross while looking pointedly away from him. He blinked in confusion, feeling quite like a vampire as she screamed, _"Put some pants on, you Neanderthal!"_

Suddenly feeling wide awake, he looked down at himself. Clad in merely one pair of red checkered boxers, he rolled his eyes and scooted over to the edge of the bed to grab his favorite jogging pants. He'd taken to falling asleep in his boxers ever since they'd entered high school. It felt manlier to him, after all. Unfortunately he must've gotten hot last night and kicked the covers completely off so that he was fully exposed save for his manliest region.

He growled at his friend, feeling annoyed. "_Me_, the Neanderthal?!" he cried out, pointing an accusing finger at her. "_You're_ the one who hasn't even _seen_ a front door in _ten years_!"

She squeaked quite loudly at that accusation and reached for the nearest object on Jason's wooden dresser, which happened to be Jack, her stuffed pink whale who now lived in Jason's bedroom permanently.

Jason, still recovering from her shriek and rubbing his ears, met Jack to his face. His eyes went wide in fury as he picked up the poor whale and lifted it above his head to fire it back.

He stopped mid-growl when his mother suddenly burst into his room.

Helen Scott glanced at the scene before her: her teenage son dropped his arm a little too casually in an attempt to hide the evil deed he was about to commit, while his best friend since Kindergarten still had her arms up in a pathetic defense.

"Oh, hi, Kimberly," his mother smiled warmly, not at all surprised at Jason's early-morning bedroom guest as though this were a very typical scene to witness.

"Hi, Mrs. Helen," Kim greeted back. Her arms dropped down defenselessly, knowing she was safe from Jason's terror as long as his mother was here.

Jason glared at both women icily, trying to will them out of his room through the power of his mind. His efforts went completely unnoticed.

"How did it go last night for you?" his mother asked Kim, inadvertently ignoring her son's angry stare.

Jason began to tap his foot impatiently and noisily, arms crossed. To his dismay, they simply spoke louder.

"Dinner date with my mom was great," Kim called above Jason's incessant foot tapping. "And my dad called while we were out so he left a message. I'm gonna call him back later today."

"Oh, _terrific_!" Jason's mother exclaimed as she clasped her hands together.

Jason by this point had enough of being ignored in his own bedroom.

"_Mom!_" Jason cried out, his voice squeaking slightly. His aggravation increased when his mother merely smiled pleasantly at the sound of her name. Jason gestured wildly toward both Kim and his mother, exclaiming, "What is _with_ you women and your inability to knock?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," his mother smiled patronizingly, "I forget! You're becoming a _man_ now. You need your privacy!"

"I _am_ a man!" Jason cried out indignantly, wishing his father were here to back him up. Kim stifled a giggle.

"Yes, yes, you _are_ a man," she replied with another patronizing smile and a nod, at which point Jason considered ripping his own hair out. Helen wrapped a loving arm around Kim and said, "Why don't we get started on breakfast while our big _man_ here gets dressed for class."

"Sure," Kim agreed happily.

Without another word to Jason, they left his bedroom arm in arm chatting excitedly. Their voices drifted down the stairs and eventually he couldn't hear them anymore.

Thank _God_, he thought.

He grumbled slightly, making a mental note to vent to Zack at the punching bags today. He threw his jogging pants off and made his way to the dresser to dig out his karate gi. He frowned when a breeze from the window sent his leg hairs rigid.

He looked over to the window Kim had left open after her blunt entrance. Suddenly, he found he wasn't so angry anymore. Normally she was good about closing it, but since his mother had distracted her it must've slipped her mind.

His heart softened even more at the mental flashback of a seven-year-old little girl clamoring her way clumsily through that very window nearly ten years ago. He began to realize how much they had each changed since then, especially her. She was no longer an untamed mass of rebellious energy, he thought with a small smile. She had amazing self-control and was now a model citizen, someone children were starting to look up. No longer were fire alarms or blown-up mail boxes on her to-do list, thankfully. And after several years of counseling, she no longer felt the need to keep quiet about the broken promises of her newly-mended home. Yes, she was still as wild and daring as ever, but she only let these attributes come out wherever necessarily, such as gymnastics.

Admittedly, at the beginning of their unique friendship, she had brought out the worst in him. Nowadays, she brought out the best in him. And to his surprise, he found that she listened very well to him. Her trust in his judgment was beyond flattering. Kimberly had found the strength to take a giant step back after her accident and allowed Jason to guide her. He encouraged her and supported her. He believed in her when she didn't, all the while still retaining the capability to hold her back if life was too overwhelming. Frowning, he suddenly felt quite old at the thought of everything they had been through together.

Jason had no clue that today, what would someday be deemed as _The Day of the Dumpster_, was the day when all his learned skill as a leader in Kimberly's life would be put to the ultimate test.

No, Jason decided ultimately, he certainly wasn't angry at all anymore for Kim's impromptu break-ins. And he knew he never truly was – no matter how annoying she tended to be. He shut his bedroom window without another thought and left it unlocked as always. After all, it hadn't been locked in ten years, and he had no intention of ever doing so again.

Not while Kim was around, he thought with a smile.

-fin-


End file.
